1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to temperature controlled pneumatic disposable blankets to aid the control of a patient's body temperature and yet provide access through the inflated blanket for surgical purposes or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
During surgery, and thereafter, and in a number of other medical circumstances, it is desirable to bathe the patient's body with a controlled temperature air, usually heated, to reduce the likelihood of trauma and thermal shock, and for the purpose of controlling body temperature in order to achieve the most advantageous medical conditions in a specific instance.
A common type of thermal blanket consists of an envelope defined by upper and lower flexible sheets which is inflated by a temperature controlled air under slightly superatmospheric pressure, and the air impinges on the patient's body through a plurality of orifices formed in the lower sheet. Typical thermal blankets are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,777,982; 2,601,189; 4,572,188; 4,660,388; 4,777,802; 4,867,230 and 5,165,400.
Blankets of this type are also shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,125,238 and 5,256,599 in which an inventor of this application is an inventor, and such patents are assigned to the assignee of this application.
While such thermal blankets as identified above are capable of distributing temperature controlled air over a patient's body, the blanket covers the patient's entire body and it is not possible to simultaneously access the patient, for surgical purposes, for instance, while the blanket lays upon the patient and is providing temperature regulation.
Difficulty is encountered in endeavoring to provide a surgical access through a pneumatic thermal blanket utilizing superatmospheric temperature controlled air in that the openings formed in the blanket necessary to provide access will permit the temperature regulated air to escape, and such access will interfere with the thermal regulation desired to be achieved by the blanket.